Liquid film interface cooling chuck for semiconductor wafer processing

Abstract

A liquid interface cooling chuck assembly 10 includes a clamping section 12 having a top surface 16 with three separate cooling circuit grooves machined therein and a bottom surface 64 having a double spiral cooling circuit machined therein. The clamping section 12 is soldered to the flat top surface 18 of the support section 14 which as a bottom surface having structural ribs machined therein. Liquid is provided to the three cooling circuits of clamping section 12 to provide a liquid interface between a wafer and the top surface 16 of the clamping section 12. A cooling fluid is also circulated through the bottom surface cooling circuit.

We claim: 
     
       1. A chuck for clamping a substrate comprising: a top having at least one liquid interface circuit means disposed thereon for providing a liquid interface between the substrate and said top when the substrate is disposed on said top, and further wherein said liquid interface circuit means is comprised of:   a spiral shaped groove disposed on said top having a depth/width/pitch ratio on the order of 1/1.2/4.   
     
     
       2. A chuck for clamping a substrate comprising: a top having at least one liquid interface circuit means disposed thereon for providing a liquid interface between the substrate and said top when the substrate is disposed on said top, and further wherein said liquid interface circuit means is comprised of:   a spiral shaped groove disposed on said top having a width on the order of 0.03 inches, a depth on the order of 0.25 inches and a pitch on the order of 0.10 inches.   
     
     
       3. A chuck for clamping a substrate having an outside diameter, said chuck comprising: a top having at least one liquid interface circuit means disposed thereon for providing a liquid interface between the substrate and said top when the substrate is disposed on said top, the at least one liquid interface means having an outside diameter, and wherein said top is further comprised of circular sealing groove means having a diameter greater than the outside diameter of said liquid interface means and lesser than the outside diameter of the substrate.   
     
     
       4. A chuck for clamping a substrate comprising: a top having at least one spiral shaped groove means disposed thereon, for providing a liquid interface between the substrate and said top when the substrate is disposed on said top;   first input means for delivering liquid to said spiral shaped groove means;   first output means for providing a means for said liquid to exit said spiral shaped groove means; and,   a bottom for transferring heat away from said top, having a spiral shaped channel means for circulating fluid hydraulically separate from the at least one spiral shaped groove means, a second input means for delivering said cooling fluid into said channel means, and a second output means for providing a means for said cooling fluid to exit said channel means.   
     
     
       5. A chuck for clamping a substrate according to claim 4, wherein said spiral shaped channel means is comprised of: a plurality of parallel, Archimedian spiral shaped channel means for circulating said cooling fluid in a spiral motion.   
     
     
       6. A chuck for clamping a substrate comprising: a top having at least one spiral shaped groove means disposed thereon, for providing a liquid interface between the substrate and said top when the substrate is disposed on said top;   first input means for delivering liquid to said spiral shaped groove means;   first output means for providing a means for said liquid to exit said spiral shaped groove means; and,   a bottom for transferring heat away from said top, having a spiral shaped channel means for circulating fluid, a second input means for delivering said cooling fluid into said channel means, and a second output means for providing a means for said cooling fluid to exit said channel means, and further wherein said spiral shaped groove means has a depth/width/pitch ratio on the order of 1/1.2/4.   
     
     
       7. A chuck for clamping a substrate comprising: a top having at least one spiral shaped groove means disposed thereon, for providing a liquid interface between the substrate and said top when the substrate is disposed on said top;   first input means for delivering liquid to said spiral shaped groove means;   first output means for providing a means for said liquid to exit said spiral shaped groove means; and,   a bottom for transferring heat away from said top, having a spiral shaped channel means for circulating fluid, a second input means for delivering said cooling fluid into said channel means, and a second output means for providing a means for said cooling fluid to exit said channel means, and further wherein said spiral shaped groove means has a width on the order of 0.03 inches, a depth on the order of 0.25 inches and a pitch on the order of 0.10 inches.   
     
     
       8. A chuck for clamping a substrate having an outside diameter, said chuck comprising: a clamping section having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface having at least one liquid interface circuit disposed thereon and adapted for providing a liquid interface between the substrate and said clamping section when the substrate is disposed on the top surface, the liquid interface circuit having an outside diameter, the top surface of said clamping section further having at least one circular sealing groove disposed thereon and adapted for releasably clamping the substrate to the top surface when the substrate is disposed on the top surface, the sealing groove having a diameter large than the outside diameter of the liquid interface circuit and lesser than the outside diameter of the substrate.   
     
     
       9. A chuck as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one liquid interface circuit comprises at least one spiral shaped groove disposed on said clamping section having a depth/width/pitch ratio on the order of 1/1.2/4. 
     
     
       10. A chuck as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one liquid interface circuit comprises at least one spiral shaped groove disposed on said clamping section having a width on the order of 0.03 inches, a depth on the order of 0.25 inches and a pitch on the order of 0.10 inches. 
     
     
       11. A chuck as recited in claim 8, further comprising a support section attached to the bottom surface of said clamping section.   
     
     
       12. A chuck as recited in claim 8, further wherein the bottom surface of said clamping section includes a means adapted for circulating a cooling fluid to transfer heat away from the top surface of said clamping section, the heat transferring means further being separate from the at least one liquid interfacing circuit. 
     
     
       13. A chuck as recited in claim 12, still further wherein the cooling fluid circulating means comprises a spiral shaped channel for circulating the cooling fluid, ana input means for delivering the cooling fluid into the channel, and an output means for providing an exit for the cooling fluid out of the channel. 
     
     
       14. A chuck as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one liquid interface circuit comprises at least one spiral shaped groove disposed on said clamping section having a depth/width/pitch ratio on the order of 1/1.2/4. 
     
     
       15. A chuck as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one liquid interface circuit comprises at least one spiral shaped groove disposed on said clamping section having a width on the order of 0.03 inches, a depth on the order of 0.25 inches and a pitch on the order of 0.10 inches. 
     
     
       16. A chuck as recited in claim 12, further comprising a support section attached to the bottom surface of said clamping section.   
     
     
       17. A chuck for clamping a substrate, the substrate having an outside diameter of at least one of several predetermined outside diameters, said chuck comprising: a clamping section having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface having liquid interface circuits disposed thereon and adapted for providing a liquid interface between the substrate and said clamping section when the substrate is disposed on the top surface, the liquid interface circuits each respectively having one of several different outside diameters, the top surface of said clamping section further having circular sealing grooves disposed thereon respectively corresponding to the liquid interface circuits and adapted for releasably clamping the substrate to the top surface when the substrate is disposed on the top surface, the circular sealing groove each having a respective outside diameter larger than the outside diameter of a corresponding liquid interface circuit and lesser than a corresponding outside diameter of the substrate being clamped.